Patent · US Active

Inner spacer formation in multi-gate transistors

US12336252B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 2022
Grant dateJun 17, 2025
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 21, 2043

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/02332
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a fin on a semiconductor substrate. The fin includes channel layers and sacrificial layers stacked one on top of the other in an alternating fashion. The method also includes removing a portion of the fin to form a first opening and expose vertical sidewalls of the channel layers and the sacrificial layers, epitaxially growing a source/drain feature in the first opening from the exposed vertical sidewalls of the channel layers and the sacrificial layers, removing another portion of the fin to form a second opening to expose a vertical sidewall of the source/drain feature, depositing a dielectric layer in the second opening to cover the exposed vertical sidewall of the source/drain feature, and replacing the sacrificial layers with a metal gate structure in the second opening. The dielectric layer separates the source/drain feature from contacting the metal gate structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.